We experienced the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos and Seltos hybrid in person at the 2026 New York International Auto Show. The redesigned Seltos offers massive improvements to what was already one of our editors’ favorite subcompact SUVs. With larger dimensions and bolder styling, along with a Seltos-first hybrid powertrain, the new Seltos is positioned to continue its reign.
Related: More 2026 New York Auto Show Coverage
Sharp Exterior
The redesigned exterior borrows heavily from Kia’s Telluride three-row SUV — and to great effect. Previously, the Seltos was a bit of a style outlier among Kia’s SUV lineup, but the 2027 fits in with Kia’s larger SUVs and looks stylish in its own right. The extended wheelbase gives the Seltos a more athletic-looking, planted stance, too. The Seltos hybrid is nearly indistinguishable from the gas-only version, too, save for some badging.
Spacious, Upscale Interior
Inside, the new Seltos looks and feels like a shrunken down Telluride. The dual 12.3-inch displays — one for the instrument panel, one for the touchscreen — are familiar and should work well. The available 5-inch climate control screen in between the two larger displays is less than ideal, however. In our long-term Kia EV9 that uses the same configuration, the panel is blocked by the steering wheel, and it is here, too. Physical climate controls on the center console alleviate that issue somewhat, but it’s still annoying.
The backseat is also roomy for a subcompact SUV, with decent legroom and headroom. Kia extended the Seltos’ wheelbase by roughly 2 inches, and the benefit to passenger room is immediately evident.
Powertrain Question
There are two gas-only engine choices: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 147 horsepower and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 190 hp. The turbo engine in our experience is excellent, and we’re confident that will continue. These engines aren’t the ones in question.
The question is the hybrid, and Kia is keeping those details close to the vest. We simply don’t have fuel-economy information yet, so we can’t make any evaluation on whether its mpg is competitive, but the addition of a hybrid is smart considering hybrid options in the class exist but are limited. The other choices in the subcompact hybrid SUV field are the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, and the Seltos hybrid could be very competitive.
More to Come
To truly know if this Seltos is competitive, we’ll have to drive it. It’d also be nice to know about its pricing and fuel economy. For the gas versions, those details should come closer to their on-sale date in the second quarter of 2026. We’ll have to wait longer for the hybrid, however, as that doesn’t go on sale until late 2026.
More Kia News From Cars.com:
- 2027 Kia Seltos: Bigger and Nicer With a New Hybrid Coming, Too
- Redesigned 2027 Kia Seltos Is a Mini Telluride With Available Hybrid Powertrain
- How Much Is the 2026 Kia Seltos?
- 2027 Kia Telluride Review: Fancier and More Frugal
- 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid: A Less Extreme Approach to Electrification
- Add Cars.com as a Preferred Source on Google
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